Photo :

EN : Reproductive
organs

FR : Organes
reproducteurs

ES : Órganos
reproductivos

Flower's structure contains the plant's
reproductive organs, and its function is to produce seeds. The pollen,
male spores and ovules, female spores are produced in different organs,
but the typical flower.
Pollen contains the male gametes, the female reproductive organ is the
carpel, this contains an ovary with ovules, which contain female gametes.
Each flower has a specific design which best encourages the transfer
of its pollen.

Entomophilous flowers attract and use
insects, bats,
birds or other
animals to
transfer pollen from one flower to the next. Flowers commonly have glands
called nectaries on their various parts that attract these animals.
Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators
where to look for nectar. Flowers also attract pollinators by scent
and color. Still other flowers use mimicry to attract pollinators. Some
species of orchids, for example, produce flowers resembling female bees
in color, shape, and scent. Flowers are also specialized in shape and
have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are
transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search
of its attractant (such as nectar, pollen, or a mate). In pursuing this
attractant from many flowers of the same species, the pollinator transfers
pollen to the stigmas arranged with equally pointed precision of all
of the flowers it visits.

Anemophilous flowers use the wind to move
pollen from one flower to the next, examples include the grasses, Birch
trees, Ragweed and Maples. They have no need to attract pollinators
and therefore tend not to be "showy" flowers. Male and female
reproductive organs are generally found in separate flowers, the male
flowers having a number of long filaments terminating in exposed stamens,
and the female flowers having long, feather-like stigmas. Whereas the
pollen of entomophilous flowers tends to be large-grained, sticky, and
rich in protein (another "reward" for pollinators), anemophilous
flower pollen is usually small-grained, very light, and of little nutritional
value to insects.